How To Be A Better Listener

The Lord is interested in our hearing. He has given mankind direction on the proper way to listen in the pages of Scripture. In one place, the Bible says, “let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). This is a principle which certainly does not come naturally to most of us! Many times, I want to talk as opposed to listen. More often than not, the subject I am prone to discuss is my favorite...ME! Yet God instructs us to take a radically different approach to our conversational skills.

The above quote from the book of James must be kept in its proper context if we are to derive the most benefit. The topic at hand is the fact that “every good and every perfect gift” comes directly from the Lord (James 1:17). Included, of course, is “the word of truth” (James 1:18), easily one of the greatest of God’s gifts to mankind. Verse eighteen indicates that God “brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.” The gospel has the power to save (Romans 1:16-17) and thus change lives. Thus the instruction to “be swift to hear, slow to speak.” The principles and commands contained in Scripture are not up for negotiation. We have not the liberty to “make deals” or select which portions of the Bible we will accept. Why are so many uncomfortable or even irate at one or more commandments of God’s word today? It is simple really: They are swift to speak, slow to hear, and swift to wrath!

In the days of Christ, many of the Jews heard, but they did not really hear! Many today hear, yet fail to listen. There are several varieties of listeners today. Here are a handful of examples:

• One can listen and criticize; they can pick the words, sentences, or facts apart. They hear the language errors a speaker makes, but are impervious to the truth.


• There are those who listen in resentment. They hear, but they do so with great hostility in their heart. Truth does not alter their intellect, but rather fires their passions.


• Some listen in sheer superiority. These individuals do not listen, but merely hear your words to be polite.


• Some, however, listen to learn. They have an open, honest, yet discerning heart. They are seeking, knocking, and asking. These listeners will hear and obey the truth. They will experience great spiritual growth, and be blessed because they have taken the admonition of James chapter one and verse nineteen seriously.

Friend, how are your listening skills? Applying God’s counsel in hearing his word will certainly help you in your social listening as well. Everyone likes a good listener. Instead of consistently dominating the conversation, “be swift to hear, slow to speak.” If you apply this principle in social settings, people will appreciate you. If you apply this principle in your dealings with the Bible, God will surely bless you!

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Better Buckle Up!!

A seat belt saved a driver, but not in the usual way. Steven Earp, a 48-year-old Eugene, Oregon man, was eating a fast-food sandwich Wednesday morning. Earp choked and blacked out. His 1997 Honda sedan hit a parked car.

After the wreck, Earp came to. Earp's revival was attributed to a "seat-belt-induced Heimlich maneuver." Witnesses told police Earp got out of his car, and they asked if he was okay.

"No, I'm not," he said, and collapsed again.

Paramedics revived him and took him to the hospital, where doctors determined he hadn't been injured.

Mr. Earp's life was spared because he was obeying the law. Now, a breakfast sandwich normally has nothing to do with a seat belt; but in this case, Earp and his loved ones must surely be glad it did.

Granted, there is not much of a connection here, but this story made me think of these words...

And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.
1 Kings 3:14, ESV

These words from the book of First Kings were the Lord's counsel to Solomon as he was in the early days of his kingship in Israel. Solomon himself echoed these words many times over in the book of Proverbs. One example of such is...

The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short.
Proverbs 10:27, ESV

Like most proverbs, this conveys a statement that is generally true. Certainly, there are exceptions, but more often than not, "hard living" shows.

So, take a lesson from Steven Earp of Eugene, Oregon. It pays to do right!

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Take A Lesson From The Roadkill

There are few things in life more distasteful than a man who refuses to take a firm position. Living in the "gray area," "straddling the fence," and "standing in the middle of the road" on any important issue seems to be more popular than ever in this "uber-politically-correct" world in which we live.

How does your opinion of an individual change when you find out they have been "playing to both sides?" It is hypocrisy at its very height. Why is standing in the middle of the road dangerous? For one thing, you are in danger of getting knocked down from the traffic on both sides. Take an lesson from our little friend in the photo above!

Another reason that certainly bears our consideration is that such a non-committal, cowardly way of thinking greatly displeases the Lord. Consider his words...

And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions; if the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21, ESV

So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:16, ESV

History's greatest men are those who have dared to commit to a cause. The has-been's and never will be's of the ages are replete with those who were not committed enough to any cause to stand up and fight.

Are you "limping between two opinions?" Quickly vacate the "middle of the road," for that is truly the worst place you can be!

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What Breaks When Brakes Break?

A motorist in Longview, Washington whose brakes were "acting strange" and wanted them checked drove through the front window of a tire store when the brakes failed as he was pulling into a parking spot. Thankfully, no one was injured, but the cost of repairs to the store will be in the neighborhood of $4,000 to $5,000.

The driver of the Cadillac DeVille was finally able to stop by throwing the transmission into park once the vehicle was inside the store. The car was towed to another shop for repair. The manager of the tire store recalled at least two other times this same incident had occurred -- both of which happened in the very same spot!

After reading this story, I was not able to determine how long this driver had been experiencing brake problems. If the brakes had begun to "act strange" in previous days, this is a case of procrastination. If the driver is like many drivers (including myself), sometimes it seems wise to drive around for a while to see if the problem will desist on its own. Let this be a reminder not to take any chances! This motorist was just a wee bit late, but look at the result.

What happens when we put off our obedience to the Lord -- either as one who has never been immersed into Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38), or as an unfaithful child of God who has fallen back into sin? Every moment that passes is dangerous by reason of being in a lost condition. Every day we choose to delay our obedience brings us that much closer to the end of life, which would bring us to the end of all hope.

If you find yourself without Christ as your advocate before the judgment seat of the Almighty, what will you say? Will you say you were just about to get around to obeying the Lord, but time ran out? Do you think this plea will stand?

Perhaps we need to take another look at Jesus' parable about the wise and foolish virgins. There will be many on that day begging and desperately pleading for entry into the eternal kingdom who will hear the Lord say, "I do not know you." Will you?

Think about it!

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A Cure For Worry

This one's for me.

Well, truthfully, every one of these articles apply to me just as much as anyone; it's just that this one is especially needed on my part.

Kelly and I are sitting at almost ten months since we placed our house in Tennessee on the market. We were surprised when we hit the three month mark and no offers had come in. Well, seven months after that three month mark, nothing has changed. There sits a great house with not a single offer to date.

Would I be lying if I told you Kelly and I have not worried about this situation very much? Yep. No doubt about it -- that would be a "whopper." We have talked and fretted about it ad nauseum.

Why do we worry, you and I? Is it not because situations and circumstances sometimes fail to go according to plans -- OUR plans? Sure enough. That really is what it comes down to -- that and the fear of what may be.

God's word tells us how to combat that ever so natural urge to worry in Philippians 4:6-7...

• Unloading -- by prayer (v. 6a)
• Committing -- by supplication (v. 6b)
• Praising -- with thanksgiving (v. 6c)
• Leaving -- the burden with God (v. 6d)
• Getting -- God's peace in return (v. 7)

Now, to put that into practice!

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I Don't Wish To Be This Oscar Mayer Weiner

The 27-foot fiberglass Oscar Mayer Weinermobile was ticketed Thursday morning in Chicago after its driver parked it on Michigan Avenue and left it on the side of the six-lane road with the hazard lights blinking.

Parking on a street marked "Parking/Standing Prohibited Anytime" is a $50 violation. As it turns out, the famous Weinermobile is not above the law -- even in Chicago, a city long known for its love of hot dogs.

The Weinermobile is currently on a nationwide tour promoting a contest to sing the Oscar Mayer jingle in a commercial.

Is there a lesson in this? Of course!!

In addition to obeying posted road laws, this ought to remind us how careful we must be as we go about our daily business. A smaller, less hotdog-shaped vehicle may have gone unnoticed by traffic cops; but a red 27-foot hotdog on wheels...well...not a chance.

If we identify ourselves as disciples of Christ by our daily confession (through both words and actions), we can expect people to be keeping an eye on us. Some may do so out of curiosity, and others in an effort to catch you "messing up."

No matter what, though, let's always be on our guard to reflect the light of Christ into a world of desperate darkness. No, not to "put on a good show" and try to convince others we are something we actually are not; rather, to glorify God in the process of doing what we know to be right.

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16, ESV

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An Abundance Of Counselors

I have spent the last several days going through the final manuscript editing process as we compile and format this year's Cold Harbor Lectureship book (with immeasurable help from our superb secretary, Carolyn Elliot). Among the many worthwhile observations I was able to make during this process, one that may have stood out above the others was how many immensely talented individuals make up the church of Christ.

This year's Cold Harbor Lectureship program includes 23 individuals -- some of which I have met, and others I have yet to meet. These 23 men and women come from all over these United States and have differen backgrounds, but they all show evidence of a Godly spirit and a depth of Bible knowledge.

Having read 21 of the 23 proposed manuscripts (still waiting on two more!), my knowledge and understanding on the subject of wisdom from the book of Proverbs has increased many fold. One of the biggest draws of any sound lectureship is reading the different writing styles and observing the various delivery styles that make every speaker unique. You and I as individuals will benefit from participating in this lectureship, and the church of God will be strengthened as a result. Such is the goal our elders set forth for this effort every year.

The Bible says...

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 11:14, ESV

The men and women who are taking the time to be in Mechanicsville this November provide you and me with a perfectly lovely situation: An abundance of wise, experienced counselors who love the Lord and his word, thereby making Mechanicsville, Virginia one of the safest places you can be at that time!

We hope many of our Food For Thought readers will be able to join us this November as we make an in-depth examination of the book of Proverbs' treatment of the subject of wisdom.

For more information, visit our Lectureship Page, or you may call the church office.

Virginia is beautiful in November! See you in then!!

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SEARCH

In the 2001 blockbuster, A Beautiful Mind, Russell Crowe plays John Nash, the brilliant but mentally unstable mathematician whose work won him a Nobel Prize. The irony of a brilliant mind being handicapped by its own schizophrenic tendencies provides for an intriguing story.

The New Testament records a statement in the book of Acts that reveals what God considers a "beautiful mind" to be:

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Acts 17:11, NKJV

This God-breathed statement describes the noble nature of the men and women in the city of Berea when it came to receiving the word of the Lord. Obviously, then, there is a right way and a wrong way to receive spiritual teaching. The Scriptures teach that searching the word of God is an attribute of a beautiful mind.

How should we search the Scriptures?

S -- seriously (1 Peter 4:7)
E -- earnestly (Hebrews 2:1)
A -- anxiously (2 Timothy 2:15)
R -- regularly (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
C -- carefully (Joshua 22:5)
H -- humbly (James 4:10)

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Beckham's Fans Know His Voice...Or Do They?

With "Beckham Mania" in full swing here in the "States," it was only a matter of time until someone tried to use the excitement to their advantage.

Check out this story...

An imposter pretending to be soccer superstar David Beckham made a dozen prank calls to county offices to chat about charity work and drop names of celebrity friends, officials said.

County Public Information Officer Judy Hammond said the bogus Beckham also suggested bringing underprivileged kids to a practice session of the Los
Angeles Galaxy, Beckham's new team.

Clerk Maria Saenz and student worker Susana Guillen, avid fans of the real Beckham, "were just jumping up and down" after the first call, Saenz said.

Officials realized the calls were a hoax after Department of Children and Family Services staffers grilled the caller.

"It just smacked of bogusity," department spokeswoman Louise Grasmehr said.

Representatives of Beckham confirmed he had not made the calls.

The matter was being investigated to "see if it rises to the level of some kind of offense," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

County Chief Executive William T. Fujioka said officials were never really duped.

"We're not country bumpkins," he said.

Even some of David Beckham's most avid fans were not able to recognize the imposter's voice. Jesus said...

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
John 10:27, ESV

Those who follow Christ are those who are able to discern truth from error. The wisdom of man has concocted a virtually endless supply of false religion and perverted doctrine. The real danger lies in that which has just enough truth to take on "a form of Godliness" (2 Timothy 3:5), but stops short of being the doctrine of Christ. Anything outside the genuine gospel of Christ is utterly powerless to save a single soul (cf. Romans 1:16; Galatians 1:6-10)


Is this not exactly what enabled the bogus Beckham to get as far as he did with his prank? He used the right name, and I assume even used the British accent to win the trust of a few naive office staff. In the end, just because someone says something does not make it truth. To claim oneself as a disciple of Christ is wonderful, but to prove it by obedience to his unmistakable voice is the true test of fellowship (see 2 John 9-11).

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12 Simple Rules For The Father's House

Between the years of 2002 and 2005, ABC aired the sitcom, "8 Simples Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter." The show starred the late John Ritter as a husband and father of three teen and pre-teen children.

I must admit, I never once watched this show. Based on the show's title, I suppose the basic premise of this series was life for teenage girls with a protective father. (By the way dads, that's a good thing...pay no attention to what the entertainment industry does in trying to make light of fathers who care.)

The first section of Paul's letter to the church of Christ in Ephesus contains what we might call, "12 Simple Rules For The Father's House." Verses one through twenty-one of Ephesians chapter five tell us how to live in our Father's house (i.e. the church, cf. 1 Timothy 3:15) as obedient children:

1. Follow Christ in love (v. 1-2)
2. Avoid all immorality (v. 3)
3. Refrain from obscene language (v. 4-5)
4. Do not allow others to deceive you (v. 6-7)
5. Walk in the light (v. 8-9, 11-14)
6. Seek God's will and do it (v. 10, 17)
7. Use every opportunity for doing good (v. 15-16)
8. Do not get drunk on wine (v. 18a)
9. Be filled with the Spirit (v. 18b)
10. Sing to encourage one another and to worship God (v. 19)
11. Be thankful for all things (v. 20)
12. Submit to one another (v. 21)

God is the Head of his own household; what he says goes. It behooves you and me by reason of both fear and love to submit ourselves to his guidance all the days of our lives.

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